Join in the Joy
Through the years, I have frequently preached about joy. It is more than an emotion (although it includes emotion); rather, it is a settled attitude, a stable and sturdy approach to life that focuses us on the things that matter now and forever. Joy is much greater and much more powerful than happiness, which is event or circumstance driven. There is nothing wrong with happiness. It is certainly better than unhappiness. Also, we have different personalities. For example, my wife is happy-go-lucky. Of course, she has every reason to be, being married to me. However, not everyone can be married to me. We need something more substantial than happiness; that something is joy. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
In I Thessalonians 1:6, Paul writes to fellow believers, “And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost.” Paul knew what it was like to be a miserable and malicious misanthrope. Before his salvation on the Damascus Road (Acts 9:1-19), he was vindictive and violent, seeking the incarceration of innocent Christians. However, this fierce and furious Pharisee was transformed into a good and godly Gospelteer. Paul never lost the wonder of God’s miraculous salvific work in his life. He insisted upon joy, for he had spent much of his time sour in his stern self-righteousness. May the dramatic changes brought about by God in the lives of others cause us to rejoice, and may we never cease to marvel at our own salvation.